Trying Again
by amessoffand0ms
Summary: What if Zoe had seen Dylan and Max with Rihanna instead of Jacob? Oneshot set during "History Repeating".


Trying Again

"She's your sister!" Max protested.

"Half sister." Dylan corrected.

"Honestly, you two. You'd never make baby sitters!" Said a voice that both Dylan and Max knew well.

Max turned to the doorway to see Zoe, arms folded and a gentle smile gracing her face.

"Zoe..." Said the porter in surprise.

"Hi." She beamed at him.

"What are you doing back?" Dylan cut to the chase.

"I've taken a few week's leave that I'm owed, I thought that I'd come and visit my favourite hospital." The female explained, making her way towards the desk and changing Rihanna as quick as a wink, disposing of the dirty nappy in a nearby bin.

"Oh..." Dylan answered. "How do you know how to change a nappy?" he enquired as Zoe lifted Rihanna up.

Zoe rolled her eyes. "I'm not daft, Dylan." She said. "Honestly, Rihanna! Your big brother is useless at times." She cooed to the baby in her arms, a smile on her face.

"How do you know who she is?"

"I asked Ethan." Zoe shrugged. "Gossip travels fast in this place."

"It certainly does." Max agreed, taking the scene of Zoe with Rihanna in with a smile- his wife was a complete natural with children.

Rihanna gave a little cry of distress.

"Hey, we can't have you being sad now can we, sweetheart? Watch this!" Said Zoe, making a funny face at the baby in her arms. Rihanna giggled, her sadness forgotten.

Max chuckled despite himself. "She's a sweetheart."

"She really is." Zoe agreed, bouncing Rihanna up and down gently.

Zoe and Max made eye contact, something shifted between them- both felt the irresistible tug toward one another yet again.

"I'm sorry to break up the party, but I'm going to take her back to her mum now." Said Dylan.

"Oh, okay." The female responded, handing Rihanna back to Dylan.

With that, Dylan picked up the baby bag and turned to leave. Zoe caught his arm.

"Dylan, she's lovely. You should try to bond with her." Said the consultant, her eyes searching her friend's.

Dylan nodded, and left.

"So..." Said Max.

"Max, I can't do this now. Not just yet, anyway." Said Zoe. "I'll meet you outside after your shift ends?"

"Okay." Nodded Max. "Zoe..."

"Yes?" She asked, gazing at him.

"It's good to see you back." Her estranged husband smiled.

"It's good to see you too." Zoe smiled back.

With that, Max left the room.

Zoe went for a walk around the hospital, saying hello to various members of staff she'd worked with over the years and caught up with them.

As she made her way to the ED, she saw Elle, who had tears in her eyes.

"Elle, what's up?" Zoe asked in surprise.

"I lost a patient, she left a newborn baby and a husband behind, I did everything I could." Said the other woman, bursting into tears.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Said Zoe sadly. "Come here." She said, opening her arms in order to give Elle a hug. Elle accepted it, Zoe held her for a few minutes-she understood the pain her ex colleague was going through.

Elle pulled away after a few minutes. "I'm sorry." She apologised.

"It's okay, I understand." Zoe smiled gently at her.

The other woman gave a brief smile."What're you doing back, anyway?"

"Unfinished business, let's say."

"Ah, that porter of yours?" Elle enquired.

"Yes." Zoe confirmed, a blush rising in her cheeks.

"Ah, good luck with that." The other woman chuckled. "I have to be going now, I'll email you, yeah?"

"Yes, I'd like that." Zoe beamed. With that, they parted.

The news that Zoe Hanna was back spread quickly throughout the hospital, her name was on everyone's lips, just as she suspected it would. No one knew why she was back, except from herself and Elle- Max had a sneaking suspicion, too.

When Max's shift ended, he went outside to see Zoe at their old smoking spot, cigarette in hand. He smiled and made his way up to her.

"Hi." She smiled when she saw him, and held her cigarette out. He took it, and took a drag.

"Good shift?" She asked.

"It was so-so, thanks. Vastly improved when I saw you, though." He flirted.

"Thank you." Zoe blushed.

"So, why are you really here?" He asked, taking a final drag f their shared cigarette and stubbing it out with his shoe.

Zoe straightened up and looked into his eyes. "You."

"Me?" He asked, taking a step closer to her.

"Yes, you. It's always you, Max." She echoed his words from when they refuelled the flame. "I love you, Max." She admitted. "And I want to make us work again because I miss you. I miss you so much."

He smiled. "I love you too. It's always you too, Zoe." He said, taking her hands in his. "I'd love to make things work again-I miss you too."

Zoe took a step closer to him, before each of them knew it they were kissing, holding onto one another for all they were worth.

"Come with me?" Zoe asked after they broke apart. "Back to America? Maybe one day, we could start a family of our own."

"Yes and yes." He smiled, brushing a stray piece of hair from her cheek. "You were a natural with Rihanna, by the way."

"Thank you." She smiled.

 **The End :-) x**


End file.
